Comparison of Physiological and Ecological Characteristics for Dodders (Cuscuta spp.) Distributed in Korea

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the physiological and ecological characteristics such as germination rate, growth, host-preference and flowering periods, and histological structure of insertion for native species of dodder (Cuscuta spp.) as C. japonica, C. australis and C. chinensis and exotic species of C. pentagona distributed in Korea. Due to very low germination rate of dodder seeds, with seed-precipitated in the concentrated sulfuric acid, it could be raised over 80% for 30 min. with C. australis and C. chinensis and for 40 min. of immersion time with C. japonica. Especially for C. pentagona originated from America, it shown over 80% of germination rate after 10 min. of its immersion time. According to its probit analysis, it was observed that (required time to be 50% of germination rate) values were following order as C. pentagona, 6.6 min.